Perforating machine



Oct. 18, 1932. w, MILLS 1,882,859

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1930 7. Sheets-Shet 1 lllllll lllll nirv- Q; A I. 3 LL 2 no 03:. M N ZWSJSIS. E

ii a Y Elwvewboz Oct. 18, 1932. w, MILLSv 1,882,859

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1932. A. w. MILLS PERFORATING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 18, 1932. A. w. MILLS V PERFORATING MACHINE Filed March l, l930 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 A. W. MILLS PERFORATING MACHINE Oct. 18, 1932.

Filed March 1. 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Oct; 18, 1932. x A. w'. MILLS PERFORATING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1950' 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 wij: 91 9' t Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT W. MILLS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE TABULA'IING MACHINE GOMPANY, 0F ENDIGOTT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY i PERIOBATING MACHINE Application filed larch 1, 1930. fierial No. 482,481.

This invention relates to card perforating machines and more particularly to machines of this class in which someof the perforations are effected under control of keys depressed by the operator and other perforations are automatically efiected under control of a set up in the machine.

, One of the objects of the invention is to devise a machine in which certain columns of a card may be punched under control of keys and in which certain other columns in which group numbers or dates or other common' data is to be entered ma be automatically punched under control 0 previously set devices in the machine.

Another object is to provide a machine of this character in which the automatic perforating may be done rapidly so that the operator may not be rcpt waiting to continue perforating by actuating keys.

Another object is to devise a machine of this character in which the punches are positively actuated for punchin and also positively restored after a punching operation.

Another object is to devise a machine of this character in which when a. punch has been automatically actuated it cannot a ain be actuated while the card isbeing f to present the nextcolumn in pmition for perforating. I

Other objects will appear in the specification which follows:

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown what I now consider to bethe preferred form of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view showing the mechanisms below the upper covering of the machine. I

Fig. 8 is a section taken on lines 33 of Fig. 2 showing the operation of the punch con trolling keys.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 5 is a detail of adevice adapted to be set to automatically efiect perforating at a particular point in a column on the card.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken on lines 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of a punch and means controlled by the set up in the machine for causing automatic operation of the punch.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail showing a lo toting drum having lugs adapted to be set to control the automatic operation of the punches.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectionfl detail of part of the mechanism showing Fig. 11 with the parts in diiiierent positions.

Fig. 13 is a detail of a device adapted to 7 hold the automatic perforating device out of operation when the card carriage is moved toward starting position.

Fig. 14 is a detail of the card carriage escapement device and means for controlling it to permit the carriage to move all the way to the left.

In Fig. 1- the card 1 is shown mounted in position for perforating. The card rests upon the table 2 of the machine and is held between upper and lower guides 3, 4 and is...

adapted to he moved from side to side by card grippin members 6, 7 carried by arms 8, 9 mounte on the card carriage 10. Carriage 10 is provided with grooved rollers 11, 13 running on track 14 and held in position on the track by guide rails 15.

The carriage 10 is provided with rack teeth lfimeshing with a gear 17 fixed on shaft 18 mounted for rotation in the frame of the machine. A bevel pinion 19 fixed on the shaft meshes with a bevel pinion 20 fixed on a shaft 21 mounted for rotation in bracket 22 fixed to the frame of-the machine. A sprin 23 attached at one end to a collar 24 fixe on the shaft 21 is coiled about the shaft and attached at its other end to a bracket 25. When umn on the card. In the present instance there are twelve such positions and twelve punches.

The punches are mounted in upper and lower guide supports 29, 30. The card moves between upper and lower die plates 31, 32.

When a unch is raised it cuts through the card, pus ing the paper disk up through the upper die plate 31 into a housing 33. Each 0 the punches is provided with a slot 34 across one side through which one arm of a bell crank lever 35 reaches. The lever is pivoted at 36 and is attached at its lower end to alink 37. The link 37 is provided with an upper projection 38 which normally lies below a fluted actuating shaft 39. This shaft is connected by aworm wheel 40 to a worm .41 fixed on the shaft of a motor 42. When the machine is being used the motor is running constantly. Link 37 is adapted to be raised when one of the keys of the machine is depressed so as to move the PIOjGCtlOII 38 into cooperation with the fluted shaft 39 as in Fig. 10. The rotation of the shaft thus moves the link toward the right rocking the bell crank 35 counterclockwise about its pivot, raising the corresponding punch to perforate the card. As the link 37 moves to the right a projection 43 engages a cam surface 44 which cams the link downwardly out of cooperation with the driving shaft.

. Reaching across all of the arms 35 is a rod 45 attached at its ends to arms 46 fixed on a shaft 47. Resting above the rod 45 is a finger 48 of the bell crank 49 loosely pivoted at 36 and actuated by a spring 50 which tends to hold the finger against the rod 45. A link 51 is attached at its left end to the bell crank 49 and at its right end to another bell crank 52 pivoted at 53. Thus when a punch is actuated the rod 45 is raised and thisin turn rocks the bell crank 49 moving the link 51 to the right and rocking the bell crank 52. moving the finger 54 into cooperation with the fluted shaft 39.

The shaft will then cam the finger 54 downwardly, rocking the bell crank 52 and moving the link 51 to the left. This in turn rocks the bell crank 49 depressing the rod 45, lowering There is one punch for each perforation position in a colonly to the balls in that raceway but also to those in the other raceway so that no other key in either raceway may be depressed. The details of this interconnection need not be fully disclosed here. The inner end of each arm 57 project downwardly as at 64 and is provided with a flange or shoulder 65 at its lower end adapted to cooperate with a spring pressed latch 66 I carried by the link 37. Normally the latch is connected over the flange 65 of the key arm so that when the key is depressed and the projection 64 is raised the link 37 will be raised to move the projection 38 into cooperation with the actuating shaft. As the link 37 is moved to the ri ht the latch 66 disengages the shoulder 65. fter the punching operation and the link 37 is returned to the left, if the key has not yet been released and the projection 64'has not yet been restored to its lower position, the latch 66 will strike against the end of the flange 65, its spring yielding to permit this. As soon as the key is released and the projection 64 has returned to its lowermost position the latch 66 will then snap over the shoulder 65 in readiness for another depression of the same key.

The pawl 26 of the escapement is mounted on a stud 67 (see Fig. 7) and is free to move slightly on the stud to the right and left. The stud is carried by a member 68a fixed to plate 68 fastened by screws 69 in a bracket or plate 70. The holes through plate 68 are elongated so that the screws 69 may be loosened and the plate adjusted to move the stud 67 to the right or left in order to effect fine adjustment of the position of the pawl with respect to the ratchet teeth 27. A spring 71 connected to an upward projection 71a on pawl 26 and to the bracket plate 70 tends to rock the pawl into cooperation with the ratchet teeth 27.

Loose on the stud 67 is an arm 72 having three projections. One of the projections is provided with the pin 73 reaching through a hole 74 in the pawl 26. The pin is smaller than the hole in orderto permit relative movement of the pawl and the arm 72. Another pin 75 on another projection of the arm 72 reaches into a slot 76 in a pawl 77 pivoted at 78 on the plate 7 O. The lower end of the arm 72 is actuated by a spring 79 tending to rock the arm counterclockwise to raise the pawl 26 out of the ratchet teeth 27 and to lower the pawl 77 into cooperation with the teeth. The spring 79 is of sufficient strength to overcome the action of spring 71. An arm 80 is fixed I the rod 47 counterclockwise in Figs. 8 and 10 thus plressing the arm 80 against arm 72, rocking t e latter clockwise so that pawl 26 engages the ratchet teeth 27 and the pawl 77 is disengaged from said teeth. Whenever one of the keys is depressed to actuate one of the punches the raisin" of the corres onding arm rocks the rod 47 permittin t e arm 72 to move to the right. Pawl 77 t en moves into cooperation with the ratchet teeth 27 after which pawl 26 releases the ratchet.

The pawl 26 will then move slightly to the right under the action of spring 71 so that next column over the punches 28 for perforating.

Release key In order to permit the card carriage to move its full distance to the left the pawl 26 may be disengaged from the ratchet teeth without permitting pawl 77 to engage said teeth. This is efi'ected by depression-of the release key 81. This key as shown in Fig. 4 is pivoted at 82 and is provided with a spring 83 holding it inits normal position. A lower projection 84 on the key is adapted to depress an arm 85 (Figs. 4, 8 and 14) pivoted at 86 and connected to arm 87. A spring 88 may be provided to hold the arm 87 in normal position. The upper end of arm 87 rests under the pin 148 and is adapted when rocked to the right to cam the pin upwardly, raising the pawl 26 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. The pawl is thus raised and due to the play permittedby the hole 74 in cooperation wtih the pin 7 3 on the arm 72, the pawl 77 is not moved into engagement with the ratchet teeth. Thus the ratchet is entirely free and the carriage will move the entire distance to the left.

Automatic punching In Figs. 9 and.11 a drum 89 is shown. This drum is made up of end plates 90, 91 fixed on a shaft 9-2 (Fig. 2). Fixed between the plates are a number of rods 93. There are as many rods 93 as there are columns on the card adapted to be perforated. In the pres ent instance this number is 45. Each of the rods as shown in Fig. 5 is provided with graduation markings. A sliding lug 94 is mounted on each rod and a spring 95 carried by the lug is adapted to cooperate with notches 96 in the rod. A lug may be moved along the rod so that one of the graduation it is desired to perforate data in certain columns on the cards by depression of the keys and to perforate data such as group'control numbers and dates or other common data in certain other columns automatically, lugs 94 on the rods 93 corresponding to these latter columns will be set in positions corresponding to the data which is to be perforated. Thus, if a 4 is to be perforated in the tenth column on the card the lug 94 will be set to the 4 position as in Fig. 5 on the tenth rod 93. If the perforation 5 is to be effected in the eleventh column the lug will be set in the five position on the eleventh rod 93 and so on. The shaft 92 which carries the drum has fixed thereon a bevelled pinion 98 meshing with the bevelled pinion 99 on the shaft 21. Thus the drum rotates back and forth with the movements of the card carriage. When a carriage is moved to place the card with its first column under the punches the drum 89 will be in position so that the lug 94 on the rod 93 corresponding to the first column on the card will be in alignment with a finger 100 loosely pivoted on a rod 101. There is one finger 100 for each punch.

When a lug 94 is set in the 4 position as in Fig. 5 it is adapted to cooperate with the finger 100 associating with the 4 punch as in Fig. 2. As holes are punched in the card by depression of the keys and the carriage is moved step by step to the left the drum 89 rotates step by step in a clockwise direction. If, after a hole has been punched by depression of a key, a hole is to be punched in the next column under control of the drum, the lug 94 on the rod 93 corresponding to the column in which the hole is to be automatically punched will be in the position of Fig. 12 with respect to its finger 100. When the hole is punched by depression of a key and the card carriage escapes to the left, the drum wil'lrotate one step. moving the lug 94 upwardly in Fig. 12, camming the finger 100 outwardly as in Fig. 11. Also loosely mounted on the rod 101 are latching arms 102, 103. A spring 104 connected between these latches tends to pull them together as in Fig. 12. A spring 105 is connected to the latch 103 and tends to rock it to the left. The finger 100 is provided with an extension-100a having a pin 100?). A spring 106 is connected between the pin 1006 and the pin 107 carried by the latch 103. \Vhen the finger 100 is rocked to the left its pin 100?) moves to the right. The spring 106 overcomes the action of spring 105 and moves the latch 103 to the rig t from the position of Fig. 12 to that of Fig.11. When the parts are in the position of Fig. 12 a finger 108 is latched in its upper position by the latch 103. When the latch 103 is' moved to the right as in Fig. 11 a spring 109 pulls the finger 108 downwardly to the position of Fig. 11. The finger 108 is pivoted at 110 and reaches under the end of the link 37 of the corresponding hole position. Thus when the finger 108 rocks it raises the link 37 into cooperation with the shaft 39 so that the link will be moved to the right to cause operation of the corresponding punch in the manner heretofore described. As the link 37 moves to the right and is cammed outwardly it engages a pivoted arm 111 as in Fig. 10. The arm is then rocked clockwise and by engaging a pin 112 carried by the finger 108 rocks the latter counterclockwise raising its right end from the position of Fig. 11 to that of Fig. 10.

The spring 101 then snaps the latch 102 under the end of the finger 108 as-in Fig. 10. This prevents the finger 108 from again raising the link 37 to punch another hole through the card while the latter is escaping to the next column. Such operation may occur where the link 37 is restored to normal position before the finger 100 has been released by the lug 94; Thus before the latch 103 has returned to position to hold the finger 108 in its inoperative position the latch 102 will hold it there. As the drum 89 moves on to its next position and the lug 94 releases finger 100, the spring 105 will move projection 100a to the left moving the latch 103 into cooperation at its lower end with the latch 102. i The latch 102 will then be moved to the left out from under the finger 108, permitting the latter to drop from its. position of Fig. 10 to the position of Fig. 12 where it will be held by the latch 103. The parts are then in position ready for another perforating operation. If as in Fig. 11 the lug 94 on the next rod 93 is in .position to cause a similar perforation in the next column then as the finger 100 is released by the lug 9-1 it will immediately be rockedoutwardly again by the lug on the next rod and will actuate the parts once more to punch a hole in the next column. Fixed to the drum 89 is a toothed wheel 89a adapted to cooperate with a finger 89b pivoted at 890 and fixed with respect to a bail 89d. The bail reaches across all of the extension arms 100m. As the finger 100 rides off from a lug 9-1 the Wheel 89a will rock finger 89?) outwardly and the bail 89d will restore the finger 100 and latch 103 positively to normal position.

The escapement of the card carriage when automatic punching is taking place is the same as when punching under control of the keys is being effected since the raising of any punch 28 will raise the rod rock- 117. Spring 115a holds the arm 113 normal- 1y raised. The ends of plate 117 are pivoted as at 118. Fixed to the plate is a segmental gear 119 meshing with a segmental gear 120 fixed on a shaft 121. Theother end of shaft 121 is provided with an arm 122 (Figs. 3 and 8) reaching over a bell crank 123 fixed on a shaft 124. Also fixed on the shaft 124 is a plate 125 (Figs. 9 and 11). Rocking of the shaft 121 thus rocks the shaft 124 moving the plate 125 against all of the latches 103 holding them all in position under the fingers 108 so that as the drum 89 rotates backwardly and the lugs 91 actuate their fingers 100the corresponding springs 106 will stretch without moving the latches 103 from under the fingers 108 and thus none of the punches will be actuated. The upward extension 123a of the bell crank 123 is connected to a link 126 (Fig. 8). This link is in turn connected to an arm 127 pivoted at 128 and fixed with respect to arm 129 which in turn has pin and slot connection at 130 with the arm 85. Thus when the shaft 124 rocks counterclockwise the arm will be depressed actuating the arm 87 and raising pawl 26 out of the ratchet teeth without lowering the pawl 77 into the teeth and the carriage will be free to move without causing the -pawls to click over the ratchet. A spring 131 may be provided to hold the link 126 toward the right as viewed in Fig. 8 and the connection between the link 126 and arm 127 may be a lost motion pin and slot connection as at 132. When the release key is depressed the arms 129, 127 will move link 126 to the left and cause the plate 125 to hold the latches 103 in place under the arms 108. In this instance, when link 126 is moved to the left a latch 126a will snap over the arm 122. This will hold the parts in position. When the arm 113 is actuated in moving the carriage to the right again the arm 122. will be depressed, releasing the latch 126a.

When arm 113 is actuated the latch 126a does not latch over arm 122. When the release key is actuated to raise the pin 148, the pin settles in a notch 87 a in the arm 87 as in Fig. 14. When the carriage reaches the end of its travel, a pin 87b strikes arm 87 and restores it. The lost motion slot at 132 permits arm 87 to be restored while link 126 is still held by latch 126a, before arm 122 has been lowered to release the latch.

Gard position indicator The card carriage 10 may be provided with an. arm 133 (Figs. 1 and 3) connected to a cord 134 mounted on pulleys 135. Attached to the cord is an index 136 adapted to cooperate with a small section 137 of a card mounted in a support 138. As the card carriage is moved to the right the index 136 moves to the left and will at all times indicate which column of the card is in position for punching. As shown in Fig. 1 several of the rods 93 are visible through the drum covering 139. In order to set the lugs 94 the operator may insert a pencil point into the hole 140 to move the lug along its supporting rod. Depression of the space key to permit the carriage to escape one column will cause the drum to rotate to bring the successive rods 93 into position so that the lugs may be set. As indicated in Fig. 5 the drum may be marked at the end of each rod 93 as at 93a to indicate which column on a card each rod 93 is associated with.

Space key In order to advance the card one column without making a perforation in the column then above the punches a space key 145 (Fig. 1) is provided. This key raises a link 37a similar to the links 37 ig. 3). This link actuates an arm similar to the arms 35 to raise the rod 45 thus rocking rod 47 and actuating the escapement mechanism to permit the carriage to move one step to the left. The arm 35 in this instance is not associated with any punch. The link 37a associated with the space key is also provided with a finger 1000 (Fig. 2) adapted to cooperate with the lugs 94 when the latter are adjusted to cooperate with the character S on the rods 93 (Fig. 5) so that wherever columns are to be skipped the corresponding lugs may be set at the position and the card will be caused to skip all such columns.

lVhen a lug 94 is moved to the dotted line position of Fig. 5 it will perform no function. This is its normal position.

0 0 Zumn skipping Sometimes in perforating cards according to certain set forms, groups of columns are regularly left blank or without any perforations. In such instances means may be provided on machines for skip ing such groups of columns under control 0 one of the keys. This means includes a plate 146 (Fig. 8). This plate is attached to the side of the carriage 10 and is provided with raised portions 147 of varying lengths de ending upon the number of columns to he s ipped. The pin 148 (Figs. 4 and 8) has its outer end resting over the plate 146. The end of this pin is beveled as in 148a in Fig. 4. Normally as the carriage moves under the pin the plate 146 is out of engagement with the in. If when one of the upward projections 14 is under. the end of the pin 148 the pin is moved forwardly the pro ection 147 will cause the pin to cam itself outwardly. This will raise the pawl 26 under which the pin lies raising the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet 27. The carriage will then escape to the left a number of columns depending upon the length of the particular projection 147. At the end of such projection'the pin will ride downwardly into a depression 147a lowering the pawl 26 back into the ratchet teeth 27 stopping the carriage in position so that a perforation may then be made in the column registering with the oted at 156 and connected at its other end to i I the pin 148.

The plate 151 is provided with cam surfaces 157 corresponding to each of the arms 35 so that after the plate has been moved to the left to cause the carriage to skip, one of these cam faces will rest above each of the arms 35. When one of the keys is now depressed the corresponding arm 35 will engage the cam face 157 and move the plate 151 to the right to its normal position thus moving the in 148 out of cooperation with the plate 146.

While the 11 key is used to control, the skipping of the carriage it is also connected with the 11 punch. Ordinarily, depression of this key will effect punching in the usual manner, and the movement of the pin 148 will have no effect so long as it does not cooperate with an upward pro ection 147. On the other hand when the key 'is depressed to effect skipping of the carriage pin 148 will then be in position with respect to a projection 147 to be raised thereby to bring about the skipping operation. At such times this key not only effects skipping, but also punching. This is common in these machines as it is desired to punch a hole in the 11 position of the first of several columns being skipped so that a subsequent operator in handling the cards will understand, when no perforations appear in several columns, that these columns were skipped intentionally, and not by mistake. The 11 hole inthe first of the columns indicates this.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood -that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing I from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

. mally holding the actuators against punch effecting operation and adapted to be rendered ineffective by said member and an additional latch adapted to hold the actuators against punch efl'ecting operation after such operation has been effected. 1

3. In a punching machine, a plurality of punches, actuators therefor, means controlled by the machine for causing operation of said punches through said actuators, said means including a plurality of latches, one of said latches being adapted to hold the actuators against punching operation, another of said latches being adapted to latch the actuators against punching operation after such operation has taken place and means controlled by said first named means for restoring the actuators from the control of said second named latch to the control of the first named latch.

4. In a card perforating machine, a plurality of punches, a carriage for feeding cards with respect to the punches, a rotatable drum actuated by the carriage, means controlled by the drum when the carriage is moved in one direction for effecting selective operation of the punches and means for preventing actuation of the punches when the carriage is moved in the other direction.

5. In a card perforating machine, card punching means, a rotatable drum associated with said punching means, selectively settable elements on said drum adapted when, the drum is turned in one direction to efiect operation of the punching means and means for preventing operation of the punching means when the drum is turned in the other direction.

6. In a card perforating machine, an arm for controlling operation of the machine, a latch for holding the arm in normal position, means fr? causing the arm to move to an operating position when released by said latch, means for restoring the arm to normal position, a second latch for holding the arm in normal position when restored and means for causing the second latch to be moved out of coo eration with the arm and for simultaneous y causing the first mentioned latch to cooperate with the arm. 7

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature. Y

' ALBERT W. M'HLLS.

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